GOLF
Evian cut to three rounds
The final women’s golf major of the year has been reduced to a 54-hole tournament after significant rain, strong winds and wet course conditions on Thursday forced the cancelation of the first round of the Evian Championship at Evian-les-Bains, France. World No. 1 Ryu So-yeon of South Korea and Jessica Korda were leading at two-under through six and eight holes respectively when play was halted. World No. 3 Park Sung-hyun of South Korea was at six-over through five holes. All scores from Thursday are to be taken off the board, with play beginning anew yesterday at 7:45am. After today’s play, a cut will be made and the top 70 players and ties are to advance to the final round on tomorrow.
SOCCER
Montpelier to get jerseys
Vermont’s capital city is saying merci to France for a spelling error on some soccer jerseys. Montpelier City Manager Bill Fraser said that Montpellier, France, ordered jerseys for its professional soccer team and fans, but they were delivered misspelled, with just one “L” instead of two. He said the French city has decided to send them to Montpelier, Vermont, which is spelled with one “L,” not two. Fraser on Thursday said that the jerseys will go to the Montpelier High School soccer teams and possibly sold in the community to benefit the high school boosters.
TENNIS
McHale advances in Japan
American Christina McHale yesterday pummeled Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Japan Women’s Open as the last two remaining seeds in Tokyo fell by the wayside. Defending champion McHale faced surprisingly little resistance from the third seed before Zarina Diyas came from a set down to beat fellow Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the day’s second quarter-final. Eighth seed Putintseva’s exit left organizers hoping Japanese qualifier Miyu Kato could continue her dream run after a week of upsets and the early loss of local favorite Kimiko Date in her final tournament at the age of 46. Kato did not disappoint, again punching above her weight as she thumped Date’s conqueror, Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia, 6-1, 6-3. “Once I won the first set I relaxed a little more,” McHale said. “I served better in the second set and pulled it out.” In the day’s final match, Croatia’s Jana Fett defeated China’s Wang Qiang 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
TENNIS
Safarova defeats Kenin
Top-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic on Thursday booked her quarter-final berth at the Coupe Banque Nationale in Quebec City with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sofia Kenin. Safarova fired 10 aces as she powered past the 18-year-old American, who is ranked 112th. Safarova is next to face 32-year-old fellow Czech Lucie Hradecka, who ousted 17-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. Seventh-seeded Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium also reached the quarters, fending off a late challenge to beat New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-4, 7-6 (7/4). Van Uytvanck next faces US qualifier Caroline Dolehide, who advanced on Wednesday when defending champion and second seed Oceane Dodin withdrew because of dizziness. American Sachia Vickery defeated eighth-seeded Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland to advance to the quarters, where she is to face Tatjana Maria of Germany.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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